The song on the playlist for this chapter is "Bad Dream" by Ruelle

Spotify link in this comment line.

[•]

"Hurry!" Gabriel turned, slashing the tentacle trying to invade the chamber. "If you can get through the portal, you'll be safe!"

Axel ran through the obsidian arch without hesitation, just to run straight through to the other side. "Uh, something's not right here."

Olivia shook her head. "Its not lit!"

Jesse pulled a flint and steel from his pocket, shoving his way through the group. "Coming through!"

He fumbled with it for a few seconds, watching sparks fly but not catch. "Come on, come on...there!"

The inside of the frame lit up purple and Petra spun to face the group. "Everyone, get in!"

They didn't need to be told twice, Olivia running through before anyone could blink. Axel followed a moment later, carrying Reuben, and as Jesse went to follow, an alarmed cry made him turn around. "Gabriel!"

He made a dash for the man, Petra following close behind. A tentacle forced him to dive for the ground but she managed to keep going, grabbing Gabriel's arms and wrangling him out of the monster's grasp.

"Thank you," he shifted onto his knees, watching people desperately run for the door just to get grabbed by a beam or tentacle. "There are so many of them...I-I can't save them all. I can't stop this thing by myself...we need to find the others."

Jesse grunted behind them and Petra spared him a glance to make sure he was alright before turning back to Gabriel. "The others?"

"Soren's been missing for years. But the others--you must seek them out," he reached into his inventory, pulling out an amulet that was glowing blue. "Take this amulet and guard it with your life."

"That's great and all that, but how will I find the rest of the Order?"

"The amulet will guide you," he put it in her hand. "Take it through the portal, and then--"

A cracking from overhead cut him off, and Petra rolled to the side, barely missing the tentacle that swung down through the hole. She turned and made her way towards the portal, slashing at the smaller tentacle Jesse fought. "Come on!"

"I'm right behind you!"

They made a break for the portal but an alarmed cry made them stop and turn around. Gabriel was being drawn up by a tractor beam and without hesitation, Jesse ran forward to help. "Hang on, Gabri-AHHH!"

Another beam caught Jesse and Petra glanced over at Lukas, who was frozen by the portal. "Lukas, I need your help!"

The blond simply screamed in terror and Petra growled in frustration. After a mere second of debate, she lunged for Jesse, using her body weight to pull him out of the beam. They hit the ground hard, Jesse nearly landing on top of her. "Thanks, Petra. Hey, Gabriel is still up there!"

Gabriel waved a hand. "Go, Petra!"

"No!" She ran towards him but a tentacle swung towards her, slamming into her torso. She was flung backward into Lukas, and the two of them were tossed through the portal.

[•]

Petra fell hard on her back, the air getting knocked out of her. The familiar warmth of Netherrack radiated below her and lava bubbled a few inches from her head. Her entire body protested as she forced herself upright, breathing hard. "That was really rough."

Axel crossed his arms. "Where's Jesse?"

Lukas got to his feet. "We did everything we could."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Petra shook her head. "It's chaos up there. I couldn't..."

"She's right," Lukas looked at his shoes. "I got scared. Just for a second."

Axel took a threatening step forward. "You got scared?"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"You got scared and it's not your fault?!"

"Cut it!" Petra shoved Axel's arm. "We don't have time for this!"

"Yeah, Axel, back off." Olivia agreed.

Petra drew her sword. "Jesse's still up there. I have to go back for him."

"No," Olivia stepped in front of the portal. "We just have to wait. Think about what you're walking into."

"I'm not afraid."

Oliva smiled a bit sadly. "I know you're not. You never are. But Petra, you'll just get yourself killed!"

Axel crossed his arms again. "Petra's too good for that. She can run circles around mobs."

"Yeah. Normal ones she knows how to handle."

Lukas suddenly pointed excitedly, successfully interrupting their budding argument. "Hey! There he is!"

They all turned to the portal, Petra putting her sword away and tapping her foot impatiently. "Come on already, damn it."

The purple film went still and deposited a man with greasy black hair onto his face. He was up in an instant and glaring at them. "You again."

Petra opened her mouth to respond but a tentacle emerged through the portal, swinging around wildly. The group was forced to the ground and she watched in horror as it wrapped around the obsidian blocks. "No!"

The portal crumbled and the tentacle disappeared to the surface with the rest of the monster. The group slowly got to their feet, Petra glaring at one man in particular. "Ivor."

He scowled. "You ruined everything."

She tackled him to the ground with a yell, punching him several times in the face before Axel dragged her back. "Petra, you're gonna kill him!"

"Would serve him right!" She spat. "For all the lives that were just lost up there because of him!"

Ivor scrambled back, holding a hand to his profusely bleeding nose. "More violence won't solve anything! Look where that got Gabriel. There's nothing left up there! Nothing but that Witherstorm."

Petra yanked her arms out of Axel's grasp. "I'm not wasting my time talking to the likes of you. Guys, we need to get up there and help Jesse."

"The boy! I saw him," Ivor turned cautiously to the group, lowering his now blood-stained hand. "While I was running to the portal I passed him. The fool was running in the opposite direction! I'm surprised you'd work with someone so obviously stupid, Petra."

She took a threatening step forward. "Not another god-damn word about Jesse from you or I'll break your arms along with your nose."

Olivia whispered a horrified "Petra!" but Ivor just chuckled. "Oh, I see how this is. You're attached to the fool. Is that it?"

"He's my friend. You clearly don't know the meaning of the word."

"Believe it or not, I do, and I know the clear line between friendship and something else," he brought his hand back up to his nose, carefully feeling along the bridge. "And you have crossed it!"

They stared each other down and after a long moment, he turned. "Through that tunnel is a network of minecarts built by the Order of the Stone. They're your only way out."

"And why the hell would we believe you?"

"Believe me or not, it's the truth," he pulled out a potion. "I would wish you good luck, but luck won't carry you through the Nether."

He downed the potion and tossed the bottle aside, grinning before he disappeared. Lukas cursed. "Where'd he go?"

A strange cry echoed through the air, one Petra was all too familiar with. "It doesn't matter. We need to go, now."

They started jogging down the tunnel, Axel pacing himself with her. "What's coming?"

"Ghasts."

The cry sounded again, much closer now, and they came to a stop at the top of a small hill. Olivia pointed at a set of minecarts. "This must be what Ivor was talking about!"

Petra glanced over her shoulder, suddenly grabbing Olivia's arm and yanking her to the ground. "Get down!"

A fireball seared over their head and Lukas dashed to the carts. "We need to go!"

They followed after him, leaping into the carts. With one last glance at the Ghast, Petra leaned over and his the lever. "Everyone hold on!"

[•]

The full moon could be seen through the tiny windows of the oak door. A fire crackled on a piece of Netherrack, Olivia and Reuben sitting quietly by it while Axel paced and Lukas sat alone by the wall.

Petra leaned against the opposite wall, checked the edge of her sword and watching Axel. "You know, Axel, the mobs are less likely to come banging on our door if you stand still, right?"

"Wait, actually?"

"Yeah. It's an old adventurer's trick. If you're stuck with no way to get a shelter, just stay as still as possible. Most mobs will walk right by."

"Huh, okay," he came to a stop. "Oh, man."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to freak out."

Petra lowered her sword. "What is it?"

Axel grinned. "I have cookies. One for me. One for Olivia. One for Petra."

She took the offered cookie. "Thanks, Axel."

She refrained from eating it, watching Lukas as Axel gave the last one to Jesse's pig. "And one for Reuben. Sorry, Lukas, I only have four."

"Ah, it's alright. Not hungry anyway."

Petra pushed off the wall, going over to the blond. "Here."

"Oh, no no, Petra, it's yours."

"I insist. I'm used to going longer without food," she lightly poked his side. "You clearly are not."

He chuckled. "You got me there. Thank you."

She nodded, going back to her spot while Axel frowned. "That was for you, Petra, not him."

"Stop being an ass, Axel."

He scoffed and an uncomfortable silence fell over the tiny dirt hut. After a long moment, Olivia turned to Lukas. "If you had to--would you rather fight a hundred chicken-sized zombies, or ten zombie-sized chickens?"

"Huh, that's a good one. Let me think."

Axel scoffed again. "How can you guys joke at a time like this? Jesse is still out there. All by himself. There's nothing funny about that."

"Well, Jesse would want us to keep our spirits high," Petra nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. "If he were here right now, he'd probably be making some dumb joke himself with that stupid grin of his."

Olivia raised an eyebrow but Reuben nodded in agreement. Axel crossed his arms. "Yeah, well...Jesse isn't here, is he?"

"True. Look, we should get some rest," Lukas stood. "We gotta start looking for this temple as early as we can. My guess is, if we start at the portal and kind of split up--"

Axel turned. "Woah, what are you doing?"

"Did I do something to you? I'd really like to know. You keep getting on my case for what seems like no reason."

"Axel, cut it out," Petra crossed her arms. "Lukas is just trying to help."

"Yeah, well I'm not going to sit and listen while he tries to tell us what's what. He's the only one here wearing that stupid jacket."

Lukas' expression darkened. "Take. That. Back."

"Can't. Wouldn't."

Lukas went to respond and Petra felt herself snap. "STOP FIGHTING, BOTH OF YOU!"

Everyone in the room seemed to freeze, turning slowly to face her. She groaned, dropping her head against the wall and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Listen up. We're a team now and we need to save our energy to find that temple."

"Why do you want this guy on our team? If it weren't for him, Jesse would be here right now."

Olivia gasped. "Axel, that's taking it too far!"

Petra marched over to him and grabbed his collar, bringing him down to her eye level with one firm tug. "Listen here, Axel. You really want someone to blame? You should blame me. I was the reason Ivor was able to complete the Witherstorm. I gave him the last skull he needed."

The bigger man's eyes were wide as she let go. "Here's what we're going to do. We're all going to sit down, shut up, and get some rest. If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say it."

Glances went around the room and everyone but Axel quietly sat down. After a moment, Lukas looked over at Olivia. "Zombie-sized chickens. That's what I'd fight."

She smiled a bit. "And why is that?"

"'Cause I'm starving."

Everyone was silent again and a soft rain started on the roof. Petra sighed and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. Jesse's face flashed through her mind and although she didn't really believe too much in a holy creator, she prayed he was alright.

[•]

A beam of white light hit the center of the amulet, two new beams emerging from the red and green bars, slowly drifting across the map. Petra rejoined the group while Olivia gasped. "It's absolutely incredible! How did they build this?"

Petra watched as the beams settled on two opposite sides of the map. "I think it's a tracking system. It tracks where the Order is right now!"

Lukas took a step forward. "Look, we don't know enough about how this thing works. Maybe the amulet only tracks them while they're on the surface. Or maybe it doesn't work when they're in the Nether. We have to go off what we do know."

Petra nodded. "Jesse is relying on us. That Wither Storm is still out there. Gabriel was trying to tell me how to use the amulet to find the Order...this must be it."

"But there are only two lights? There are only two members of the Order left?" Axel asked.

"Soren's missing. That leaves Magnus and Ellegaard. Let's head out."

"I'm not going with you guys," Lukas announced. "I have to stay here. Jesse is probably working hard to get here and if he's alive...I have to stay. Go get help. I'll fortify this place...well, I'll actually need some help to do that. Would someone hang back with me?"

Axel patted Olivia on the shoulder. "Sounds like Olivia'll have you covered while Petra goes with me to find Magnus."

"'Find Magnus?' Is that really how you think it'll be?" Olivia put her hands on her hips. "We need Ellegaard. She's the world's greatest engineer. She'll figure out how to stop that thing."

"We're trying to destroy it," Axel argued. "And when it comes to destruction, Magnus is the master."

"Petra? What do you think we should do?"

Petra sighed, starting to get a headache. "Alright, uhm...Axel, we're going to get Magnus."

"Alright!"

Petra leaned over to Olivia. "I mostly don't trust Axel not to kill Lukas while I'm gone."

"Fair enough, I suppose," she put a hand on Petra's shoulder. "Come back safe."

"We will. Let's go, Axel."

Reuben suddenly came up to them, squealing. "You want to come too, Reuben?"

The pig nodded. "Alright. To Boomtown we go."

A/N: I tried so hard to hold off posting this next chapter but I had the whole thing written up and I just HAD to post it. Hope you enjoyed!